LONDON, June 4 (Reuters) - Private equity company 3i and Intu Properties are to join Britain's blue-chipFTSE 100 equity index, at the expense of bookmakerWilliam Hill and industrial investment group MelroseIndustries.
Getting into the FTSE 100 can often fuel further demand fora company's shares, since funds that track the FTSE or invest inthe index can then add that stock to their portfolio.
The changes were announced by FTSE Group on Wednesday.
3i shares have risen by around 10 percent since the start of2014, while the FTSE 100 is up by around 1 percent. IntuProperties' shares have progressed by around 12 percent.
Melrose Industries said its exit from the FTSE 100 partlyreflected its decision to return 600 million pounds ($1 billion)in cash to shareholders earlier this year.
The changes to the FTSE 100 will take effect when tradingbegins on June 23.
($1 = 0.5974 British Pounds) (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Lionel Laurent)
3i Group (III)